Wearing a Garment With Extra Buttons Where There is no Eruv

Very often extra buttons are sewn onto a garment so that the wearer will have replacements if any of the other buttons fall off. These buttons are insignificant when compared to the rest of the garment and therefore it is permissible to wear a garment with such buttons on Shabbat in a place with no eruv. By contrast, it is forbidden to walk on Shabbat in a place with no eruv while wearing tzitzit that are not valid. Since generally one's intention is to eventually fix the strings and make the tzitzit kosher, he will likely become preoccupied with them and therefore they are considered to be the main part of the garment (S"A O"H 301: 38).

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